After spending some time disinfecting the scattered mias and cleaning the floor. I was meticulously disinfected due to the irresponsible nature of not knowing what kind of poison it was, and the problematic environment of this headquarters being located right in the middle of town.
“…Alright, with this, there shouldn’t be any openings left, and all the poison should be gone.”
“Good work. You’re as capable as I expected. Now, feel free to enter the Boss’s Office. It’s a bit messy, but there’s probably enough space for one or two people to sit. Probably.”
“…”
“Kelvin-kun, I understand how you feel making that face, but let’s go inside first, shall we? It’ll be a hassle if you use something strange again without any shame.”
“Ah, yes.”
It was unusual for Ange to be so agreeable with Boss Shin’s actions. Or rather, perhaps she had resigned herself to it in this case. What kind of trouble had she gotten into when she visited the Boss alone before? As for me, perhaps this person was the S-Rank Adventurer I found most difficult to deal with. It was possible she was even more troublesome than Rio.
As I stepped into the Boss’s Office, the place was more chaotic than I had expected. Tools whose usage I couldn’t even guess at, statues that showcased a unique sense of style, special arms and armor likely stolen from Zildra, clothes and undergarments left discarded, et cetera, et cetera. To put it bluntly, it was a disaster teetering on the verge of being a hoarder’s den. It was twice as bad as Sera’s room.
“The sofa over there is free. If we squeeze, two people can sit on it, right?”
“…I’ll sit.”
“U, um…”
It was quite cramped, but we somehow managed to sit in the remaining space on the half-buried sofa. On the opposite side, Boss Shin was sitting on top of her half-buried desk.
This was the first time I had properly faced Boss Shin, and she was wearing an eyepatch over her right eye. Was she a user of a magic eye like Riod? Her other eye was purple, and her wavy hair was also purple. She appeared to smoke cigars, as several such items were tucked into her clothes. Although her evolved state meant her appearance couldn’t be relied upon, she looked to be in her early thirties.
“Oh, I apologize for the mess. I have a bit of a collecting habit; I can’t help but gather rare items. Well, they’re all valuable, so it can’t be helped, right? Yes, it can’t be helped!”
“I’ll overlook the mess. I understand that you’re a former Apostle and Riod’s master. However, I want to correct something before we talk. I didn’t kill Riod? It’s true that I wanted to fight him myself if possible, but the ones who actually saw him to his end were other members.”
“Ah, I know? It was the Apostles Bell Baal, Estoria Clanveltz, the Beast King of the Eastern Continent, Leonhart Gaun, and Ange and the others there who delivered the finishing blow, wasn’t it? I heard about it from Ange when she visited here before. So I know perfectly well.”
Hearing Boss Shin’s nonchalant reply, I felt an urge to bury my head in my hands.
“You knew…? Then why did you attack me? Well, Ange also seemed to know.”
“Hahaha, so you noticed?”
“It was incredibly obvious, which is unlike Ange. It felt like she was trying to tell me something.”
“Hmm, what could it be? Ange-san, I have no idea~”
Ange, fiddling with the cat ears on her hood, looked away and feigned ignorance. I knew what was going on, you cute thing.
“Fufu, don’t blame Ange-kun too much. I asked her to keep it a secret. I thought it would be the most efficient way to become friends with someone like him who loves battles. So, I asked her to keep the surprise attack a secret, you see? That way, the tension would be higher, and Kelvin-kun would be more focused on me, right? Ah, and the matter of Riod was just a pretense, so you don’t need to worry about it at all. It made for a better atmosphere and I thought Kelvin-kun would misunderstand for a moment. Riod followed his path, and you followed yours. It’s just that.”
“…For that, you seemed to harbor genuine killing intent and hostility?”
“Well, isn’t that more to your liking? We fought an honest battle. We are now best friends, truly best friends!”
While I would welcome that kind of greeting, I wondered if it was my imagination that there was an atmosphere preventing us from becoming friends so casually.
“Don’t make that face. You had a very good expression when we exchanged greetings.”
“Ange, what did I look like then?”
“You had the biggest smile of the day~”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously, seriously.”
…Well, I’m aware of the welcome, so…
“And another reason… I wanted to confirm Kelvin-kun’s character firsthand.”
“What could you possibly understand about my character from that series of actions?”
“No no, you can actually understand quite a lot! Besides, I’m the one who wrote Kelvin-kun’s introduction in the Adventurer’s Guide, you know? And I’m telling you, I’m almost never wrong!”
“Wh-what?! Y-you! So it was you who wrote that troublesome content and nickname in the Adventurer’s Guide!?”
“Indeed it was. I drew the illustrations too. They were cute, weren’t they?”
“It’s true that the women in our group liked that part… But more importantly, the nickname! The nickname! For calling me a lecher and a trembling poet! Do you know how much trouble that’s caused me—”
“—But it’s not a lie, is it?”
“…N-no.”
“Considering your previous reputation and integrating the information from your companions, isn’t it actually true?”
“…”
“Kelvin-kun, you’re at a disadvantage here. You can cry on my chest later, so let’s drop this topic, shall we? Okay?”
Grumble~~~…! I want to retort! But I can’t! I’ll cry later!
“Ange-kun says so, so let’s get back to the topic. Um, it was about Kelvin-kun’s character, wasn’t it?”
“…Ah. What could you understand from that surprise attack?”
“Then, I’ll explain briefly. Even with a little prior information, you calmly judged and dealt with my surprise attack. I think you have unparalleled combat sense, and at the same time, your expression tells me you’re a huge battle enthusiast. Despite your complaints, you have enough depth of character to respond to my unreasonable demands. You were thinking of the people in the pub town and the general public, weren’t you? Prioritizing common sense over pride is a big plus for an S-Rank Adventurer like you, you know!”
“Don’t point at me… I’m not as accomplished as you say. Normally, people would do what they can if they’re able to, in that situation.”
“There are many adventurers who can’t do that, which is why I, who oversee everything, have a hard time. The A-Rank Adventurers in this pub tend to be particularly that way; they’re just too stubborn and proud. The staff also struggles daily. Don’t you pity us, Kelvin-kun?”
“Well, I think you’re the one causing them the most trouble, Boss.”
“Ah, yes, yes. Speaking of which—”
Although I can’t say I’m any better, this Boss suddenly changed the subject as the situation became more serious. You should listen to your subordinates’ opinions more often!
“—Kelvin-kun, have you ever considered seriously training A-Rank Adventurers? I’ve been looking for someone like you, who has the skill and love for combat, who is broad-minded and possesses a certain degree of common sense!”
“…Huh?”
